NAICS 311421 Quarterly Industry Report
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311421Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311421 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing fruit and vegetable canning businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from FDA[6] food safety regulations, USDA[9] agricultural production data, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for canning enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the fruit and vegetable canning industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Fruit and Vegetable Canning (NAICS 311421) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing canned, pickled, and brined fruits and vegetables, including canned juices, jams, jellies, preserves, tomato-based sauces (ketchup, salsa, spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce, tomato paste), pickles, relishes, and sauerkraut. These manufacturers source fresh produce from agricultural growers, process it through washing, peeling, cutting, cooking, and filling operations, then seal products in cans, jars, or pouches for shelf-stable retail and foodservice distribution. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies fruit and vegetable canning separately from specialty canning (NAICS 311422) and frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing (NAICS 311411).
The U.S. canned fruit and vegetable industry operates on seasonal production cycles aligned with agricultural harvest periods, with manufacturers processing peak crop volumes during summer and fall for year-round distribution. The FDA[6] regulates canned food manufacturing through thermal processing requirements, container integrity standards, and acidified food regulations that ensure product safety and shelf stability. Major product categories include canned tomatoes and tomato products, canned beans, canned corn, canned fruit in syrup or juice, and a growing segment of organic and premium preserved food products.
Business valuations for fruit and vegetable canners focus on processing plant capacity and location relative to agricultural growing regions, grower contract portfolios and raw material sourcing reliability, brand recognition in retail channels, and private-label manufacturing relationships with major grocery chains. Appraisers evaluate production line speeds, seasonal labor management capability, warehouse and distribution infrastructure, and the balance between branded and private-label revenue that influences margin profiles and customer concentration risk.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for fruit and vegetable canning operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across canned vegetables, canned fruits, tomato products, sauces, pickles, and organic preserved food segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311421
- Comparable transaction data from recent canning company acquisitions, brand portfolio sales, and processing plant transactions
- Market analysis covering canned food consumption trends, organic growth, private-label competition, and shelf-stable food demand patterns
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for production line operators, quality control technicians, seasonal harvest workers, and warehouse staff
- Industry risk assessment including crop supply variability, commodity pricing, consumer fresh food preference shifts, and BPA-free packaging costs
- Regulatory compliance overview covering FDA thermal processing requirements, acidified food standards, labeling rules, and FSMA preventive controls
- Capital expenditure profiles for washing and peeling lines, retort systems, filling and seaming equipment, labeling machines, and warehouse facilities
- Production metrics including cases per line hour, yield per ton of raw produce, seasonal capacity use, and cost per case benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 3114 |
| NAICS Industry | Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying | 31142 |
| National Industry | Fruit and Vegetable Canning | 311421 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311422 | Specialty Canning | Specialty canning operations manufacturing canned soups, baby food, baked beans, and other canned prepared foods sharing thermal processing and canning equipment |
| 311411 | Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing | Frozen fruit, juice, and vegetable manufacturers competing for the same raw agricultural produce supply and offering alternative preservation methods to canning |
| 311919 | Other Snack Food Manufacturing | Other snack food manufacturing operations purchasing canned and preserved fruit and vegetable ingredients for snack product formulations and ingredient mixes |
| 424480 | Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers | Fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers supplying raw produce to canning operations from agricultural growing regions during seasonal harvest periods |
| 332431 | Metal Can Manufacturing | Metal can manufacturing operations producing tin cans, steel cans, and aluminum containers used as primary packaging for canned fruit and vegetable products |
| 327213 | Glass Container Manufacturing | Glass container manufacturing operations producing jars and bottles used for packaging pickles, preserves, sauces, and other glass-packed canned food products |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 15.2% | 122 |
| 2 | Texas | 8.2% | 66 |
| 3 | New York | 6.6% | 53 |
| 4 | Oregon | 5.2% | 42 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 5.1% | 41 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 4.9% | 39 |
| 7 | Michigan | 4.5% | 36 |
| 8 | Florida | 4.5% | 36 |
| 9 | Ohio | 3.9% | 31 |
| 10 | Washington | 3.1% | 25 |
% Of Establishments
0%
15%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
88
Total SBA Loans
$17.3M
Total Loan Volume
$197K
Average Loan Size
11 yrs
Average Loan Term
10.95%
Average Interest Rate
328
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Fruit and Vegetable Canning (NAICS 311421) with a size standard of 1,000 employees. Canning companies within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[12] and government contracting preferences, including USDA commodity procurement programs that purchase canned fruits and vegetables for federal nutrition assistance distribution. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[13] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[14] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 32 | $6.4M | $200K |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 8 | $4.0M | $500K |
| 3 | CIBM Bank | 8 | $3.2M | $400K |
| 4 | Mortgage Capital Development Corporation | 8 | $1.2M | $150K |
| 5 | American Bank | 8 | $1.1M | $140K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for fruit and vegetable canning?
Fruit and Vegetable Canning is classified under NAICS code 311421, covering canned produce, juices, sauces, pickles, and preserved foods per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for fruit and vegetable canning?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 311421 at 1,000 employees, qualifying eligible canning operations for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are canning businesses valued?
Valuations focus on processing plant capacity and location, grower contract portfolios, brand strength, private-label relationships, and seasonal production capability per U.S. Census Bureau[15] manufacturing data.
What products does NAICS 311421 cover?
Products include canned fruits and vegetables, tomato products and sauces, jams and jellies, pickles and relishes, canned juices, and sauerkraut per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] product classification definitions.
How does seasonality affect canning operations?
Production peaks during summer and fall harvest seasons when fresh produce volumes are highest, requiring seasonal labor expansion, extended operating shifts, and year-round inventory management.
What risks affect fruit and vegetable canners?
Major risks include crop supply variability from weather and disease, commodity price fluctuations, consumer shifts toward fresh and frozen alternatives, can and packaging material costs, and private-label pricing pressure.
What food safety regulations apply to canning?
The FDA[6] regulates canned food through mandatory thermal processing filing requirements, container integrity testing, acidified food regulations, FSMA preventive controls, and labeling standards.
How large is the U.S. canned food market?
The U.S. canned fruit and vegetable market represents billions in annual sales per USDA[9] food consumption data, with canned tomato products and canned vegetables leading category volume.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]FDA fda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]USDA usda.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
- [15]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
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